The Demi-Goddess Of Puppy Love
by Alicia T
Summary: Aphrodite takes on an apprentice...


The Demigoddess Of Puppy Love

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Author: Alicia

Email: [LadyAngel@xena.com][1]

Rating: G

Timeline: Season Two

Summary: Aphrodite plays mom & mentor...

Spoilers: If The Shoe Fits...

Disclaimer: There's no way in Tarterus that I own them Baby!

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_BOOM!_

Xena, followed by Gabrielle and Joxer, rushed to where the explosion had come from. The trio found themselves at the entrance to one of Aphrodite's temples.

It was _nearly _falling to pieces...

"Now look what you've done!" came Aphrodite's furious voice from the inside.

The trio ran into the temple, where the Goddess of Love was venting her anger...

"You little monster! I _told _you not to play with the bottle marked 'Passion', it's _totally _explosive stuff!"

Xena was confused. "Aphrodite, what's going on?"

The goddess turned at the intrusion, "Xena? What are _you_ doing here?" It wasn't that she didn't _like_ her brother's little warrior babe, she had a _killer_ outfit, but she was interrupting Aphrodite's lesson.

"Xena!" came the tiny voice.

A little blonde girl dressed in a pink outfit, just like Aphrodite's, came running out from behind the Goddess of Love. It was obvious that the child was the one that Aphrodite's wrath was aimed at.

She rushed to Xena's side. Xena bent down to the little girl's height. "Alicia?"

She looked up at Xena with bright, blue eyes. "Please, you have to save me from my evil Fairy-Godsmother," she pleaded.

Xena wasn't sure she'd heard correctly, " Who's that?"

Alicia frowned, then turned and point to Aphrodite accusingly, "Her!" She yelled at the top of her tiny, musical voice.

Aphrodite was shocked, "Moi?" she asked, as she put her hand to her chest.

Xena stood up menacingly and glared at the barely clothed goddess...

"Let's hear it, Aphrodite. What's all this about?"

"The little rugrat wandered in here yesterday and said something about her dad and her wicked stepmom. So, you know me, I was _just _trying to help...but then she became like..._totally_ bizarro and now she's calling me..."

Alicia cut her off, "My evil Fairy-Godsmother!"

"Arrggghhhhh! As IF! Dear child, do these features _look_ evil???" Aphrodite held her hand out to her side, as if to say...look at me, I'm innocent!

Gabrielle touch Alicia's shoulder to get her attention, "Do you mean the Fairy-Godsmother from the fairy tale?"

They all turned to her. Alicia looked up at her, "Mmhmm..." And nodded her head.

Xena spoke to Aphrodite, "This child's name is Alicia..._Princess_ Alicia of Cyra. Her father and I have been friends for years." Xena bent down to the child's height once more.

"Alicia, how did you get here? Did you run away from home?" she asked the little princess.

She nodded, "Uh huh. Daddy got married. I don't like my stepmother. So I came here to find my Fairy-Godsmother..."

Xena felt something pull at her heart, "Well I think your father would be _very_ worried. Maybe we can take you home and work this out..."

The little eprincess looked ecstatic, "Then _you'll_ be my Fairy-Godsmother?"

Xena smiled, "Just for a little while..."

Aphrodite was indignant. "Great! Get rid of her. She _obviously_ doesn't know a good thing when she sees it...!"

Xena repressed a grin, then she turned to the exit, holding the child's hand. "Come on, Alicia, I think we'd better take you home..."

Gabrielle and Joxer followed them out of the temple, leaving Aphrodite in her partially destroyed temple...

*~*~*

Aphrodite wandered aimlessly around the temple, kicking the debris out of her way. She spotted a tiny, pink slipper, just the like the ones that she was wearing...

"Oooooh...my little pooky's slipper." She picked it up. It looked so tiny in her hands.

Suddenly, she was standing in front of one of her full bodylength mirrors. Her mirror image began to speak to her.

"Admit it." the image sympathized. "You miss the little monster."

Aphrodite argued with herself, "As if! What's to miss??? The noise? The crying? The Fairy-Godsmother rap? Well, she _did_ have potential..."

Her image knew better, "Fess up, girlfriend, you're suffering from Empty Nest Syndrome. Your little boy Cupid is all grown up and now you're lonely."

Aphrodite smiled. "She _was_ kinda cute, wasn't she?"

Her mirror self was playing amateur psychologist... "No duh! Your problem was that you didn't get to play the 'mommy' gig long enough, you know?"

Aphrodite was skeptical, "You mean like and stories and cuddles and stuff?" She was getting used to the idea. "I could do that...you think I could do that?"

Her image scoffed, "Totally! She could be your own personal mascot." The image folded her arms, "The Demigoddess of Puppy Love..."

Aphrodite grinned, "I'm _such_ a visionary..."

*~*~*

It was time to start their lessons...

_If little miss princess is going to be my little Demigoddess, she'll need to learn a few things..._

Princess Alicia sat in her new little throne, in the middle of Aphrodite's newly renovated temple. She was happy. She and her new stepmother had sorted things out and her father let her spend most afternoons with her former Fairy-Godsmother.

The Demigoddess-in-training sat there, listening intently, as Aphrodite gave her instructions.

"...but never forget to smile. _Never_ frown. It'll give you wrinkles." Aphrodite frowned. Alicia was about to point that out, but Aphrodite continued.

"Now, when you go out in public, _always_ wear clothes like mine." She gestured to her bikini-style outfit and veils. She frowned again, "Okay, maybe just a _tad_ more. After all, you're still only a kid and you don't want _too _many guys chasing after you..." she conceded.

Alicia scrunched up her face. _Boys! Yick!_ She looked as if she'd sucked on a lemon...

For the rest of the afternoon, the Goddess of Love had her protege measured and fitted for several little goddess-type outfits.

Alicia _loved _all the attention, _and_ the clothes! When her father came to pick her up later that night, she was grinning.

_Learning how to be the 'Demigoddess of Puppy Love' was fun...!_

The End

   [1]: mailto:LadyAngel@xena.com



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